Tom Brady: Offseason activities could impact QB's performance this year, ESPN analyst claims

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By Matthew Baldwin

Published Aug 23, 2022

ESPN analyst Sam Acho believes everything that went on in the offseason could have an impact on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.

FILE PHOTO: Oct 3, 2021; Foxboro, MA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) yells to the crowd as he takes the field to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - 16887252/File Photo

ESPN analyst Samuel Acho believes that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady might not be 100% focused on football this season.

To say that Tom Brady has had a bit of a busy offseason might be classed as an understatement. First there was the back and forth on whether or not he would retire from the NFL, saying that he would only to come back 40 days later. He’s also had to deal with questions about his personal life following his recent absence from preseason work.

Things also haven’t been smooth for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a team, as members of his offensive line appear to be dropping like flies, right as the team are getting into the crunch time when it comes to their preparation ahead of the 2022 NFL season.

Now given how much Brady has accomplished in the league, he has more or less earned the right to dictate his own schedule, but even so, this offseason has taken things to a whole different level.

Not done yet

And if all that wasn’t enough, he also spent this offseason working out what he is going to be doing in his future when he does eventually retire from the NFL. He signed a deal with Fox that will see him earn $375m over the course of a 10-year deal, making him one of the highest-paid sports broadcasters of all time.

Quite when he is going to be able to cash in on that contract though, it’s hard to say. He certainly isn’t slowing down with age, as he led the league in both touchdowns and passing yards last season, and if he can continue to play at that high level, then there’s no reason to think that he can’t continue on for another year or two.

But it’s the off-field stuff that Samuel Acho believes could have an impact in how Brady plays this season.

What’s he said?

Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Acho thinks that given everything that Brady has gone through this offseason, it might have just given him the taste of what life is like without football, and that it might perhaps make him think twice when it comes to playing once the season is finished:

“He retires 40 days, he enjoys retirement, but I guess he wants to come back. I’ve got no issues taking days off, do your thing, spend time with family. But that's part of the reason why I think it'd be hard right? Like you've seen what it's like on the other side, you see what it's like.

“I have all the rings, I have a new job a job waiting for me. Like literally, I could stop right now and go get almost $400m, I have a job waiting for me. Yes, I want to come back and play, but it takes a lot of emotional energy to play the game of football. It takes a lot of sacrifice and Tom Brady has it all.“But part of me just wonders, is it time? Not now, finish the season, do your thing, but like there's that emotional piece of like ‘Man, I gotta invest a lot. I've seen the other side, maybe I do play and I fulfil my commitment. But I think in the back of my mind, there might be some other thoughts’”.

If there is anything we know about Brady, it’s that he is pretty focused when it comes to his football, and doesn’t come across as a person that might be distracted by what could happen off the field. But if things aren’t great for him, then we at least have one possibility as to why that might be the case.